Severe Drought Prompts Burn Bans, Water Usage Restrictions in South Florida

South Florida water managers are sounding the alarm as the worst drought in a quarter-century has left parts of the state critically short of groundwater and reservoir supplies.

“Without conservation, water supplies over the remainder of the dry season may not be available to meet the present and anticipated requirements of water users while also protecting the water resources from serious harm,” reads an order issued Friday by the South Florida Water Management District, according to the Miami Herald.

The district has ordered water usage restrictions in some areas, including Cape Coral in Lee County, for residents and businesses that use private wells for irrigation. For other areas in the lower part of the state, the district is urging voluntary conservation measures.

South Florida has seen less than four inches of rain since November and just a fraction of an inch in February, the district reported. The shortage means aquifers have fallen significantly, increasing the risk of wildfires and the risk of saltwater intrusion into freshwater supplies.

The district’s measures came a few days after Florida’s governor declared a state of emergency due in part to the dry conditions. County commissioners in about half of the state also enacted countywide burn bans, news sites reported. Fire officials around the state also urged homeowners to trim trees and vegetation to help buffer homes from wildfire risk.

Dozens of brush fires were reported around the Tampa Bay area, with some 8,500 acres burned in Okeechobee County, the Tampa Bay Times and Herald-Tribune reported.

The dry weather has been influenced by a recent La Nina, cooler water off the west coast of South America, news sites have reported.

Topics Florida